Aizen's Calligraphy Class
by Rioshisama
Summary: Everyday you wear the same mask. Pity even that has to crack every so often.
1. Chapter 1

Good evening. Needless to say, I'm not terribly good at reaching out and actually -speaking- with you all, soutaichou forbid. So, I'll post another story, and hopefully you'll forgive me for not be as quite verbose as possible, and I encourage you to send me a mail sometime.

To tantalize your tastes for better literature, I offer you a tale this night, a story of Aizen's one slip in front of his calligraphy courses he taught in the Gotei Thirteen prior to the inevitable tragedy that was his rise to rule Hueco Mundo. I do hope you'll enjoy it. Beware treachery, comrades.

God is Dead,

Rioshi.

**T**he treacherous curve of the smile adorning Aizen's lips was the only thing people could remember. Some waved it off, thinking it an overactive imagination. Others blocked out the memory of Sosuke so out of character the day Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai left for the human world. Others of course, could not so easily fool themselves. The haunting smile, the cheshire like grin was on display when a hell butterfly perched upon the finger of the Fifth division's captain. Only the latest attendant of Aizen's calligraphy course at the Academy who was not yet enthralled with the man's generous nature would wimper in their barracks through the night. By all that was good and holy of the soutaichou, the poor girl would imagine the shark glint of his teeth like blood had been spilled in the waters. And she certainly had the right of it.

**"Ah, a riddle was it? 'Something lost, something found; something broken, something round?' My dear, I certainly have no idea!"** the gentleman in front of her waved off politely, his innocent smile accompanied by a forced gesture of modest humility when the taichou realized his killing intent leaked for a second. No matter, the situation was not beyond repair.

Aizen blinked owlishly through his glasses after the moment had passed, noting the terrified doe like eyes of the student he was trying to instruct while his lieutenant's message had been faithfully relayed to keep her superior in the know about the Gotei 13's politics. But what about the terrified lady before him, in this audience of a hundred who gathered to attend a humble captain's course? Poor girl, she must be so deliciously heartbroken seeing her role model turn to ashes in her mind. Made him almost wonder if he could break Momo's mind the same way.

No matter. It would be years before this girl could possibly threaten him to the others that he might be more than what everyone believed, and by then his plans would come to beautiful fruition. There was something almost succulently sweet to snaking his way through the ranks, letting those powerless to his goals devour the forbidden fruit of knowledge... and watching them realize they had accepted a Serpent's apple in the Garden of Eden.

Right before he _killed_ them, of course.

Two breaths, in and out, the overbearingly polite eyes of the treacherous shinigami fluttering closed as his chest rose and fell with a gentle sigh before Aizen stood up with a powerfully magnanimous smile. His warm and welcoming composure eagerly embracing the kinder, gentler aspects of his nature to those who might have seen his momentary release, and the brown haired sympathy in his tone easily infected all who were present with an almost soulful gaze.

**"Dearest students, my proud and rising ranks of our latest generation taking up arms in the Gotei Thirteen, you have done me great honor in attending my course these past few months. But pray, forgive me my departure, this class will sadly have to resume another time- my own attendance is mandatory in the defense of our great Soul Society this day."**

Aizen took a step back before the classroom and bowed almost studiciously, showing them what everyone saw as a magnanimous gesture to new shinigami nobility as a powerful authority in the Gotei that they would pass praise upon to their clans and comrades in the Seireitei for. Surely of course, the man who would show such respect to the up and coming nobles of this city was the perfect man to help lead a magnificent division of it. Sadly for these rising stars, only the girl in the front row who was exposed so strongly to his killing intent could see the disdain mocking Aizen's sneer as he pandered to the nobility he felt beneath him, face hidden in mid bow before his expression shifted back. Like a cobra, his words ensnared the small girl who had fought so hard for a better life all the way back to the Rukongai's Zaraki ward in district eighty. Life was not fair, was it?

**"Oh, and Sayori-san? Gin-sensei would like a word with you if you'll indulge him after class?" **Sosuke offered benevolently as the lecture room filed out unaware with a few jealous looks at Sayori from behind, the girl's frantic stares to her right and left incredulous as she was left alone with the patronizing smile of the assistant teacher like a death toll of a massive bell. Soon even the merciful Aizen-sama had left the scene, and there was nobody left to see _poor_Sayori ever again.

A muffled scream rang out before it cut out suddenly as Aizen's footsteps paused not once in his departure underneath the open sky and radiant light of heaven. He waved happily to the couples and even a few of the instructors going about their daily life, his mind awhirl with all sorts of pleasant possibilities and torturous deviancies playing through the cruel shinigami's thoughts.

And it was this same peaceful hour of the day that lead him wistfully back to his division's office, only slightly sighing under his breath how unfair it was he had to waste such a gorgeous day indoors. A pair of sixth seath shinigami passing by him giggled adoringly as they passed the captain by, believing his words to be for their presence. Please.

It was the sun that beckoned him to his 'duty', as bright and brilliant as the humblest captain's cheerful smile while he walked leisurely down the streets of the fifth division's section. Gin had flashed stepped into place loyally behind him, and Aizen withheld a dangerous chuckle of pure malice behind his smile. He could walk without fear down these pazed roads with bows and cheers welcoming him in broad daylight.

The Night would not fall until Hueco Mundo rose to meet him.

_Something Lost, _

_Something Found._

_Something Broken,_

_Something Round._

**'Why Rukia, so kind of you to bring me my Hogyoku'.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Double Update. Summer comes before winter, and with it gentle times that leave the imagination to soar. -Rio!_

It was fate that Aizen had to be a shinigami.

So obvious that the repeated foreshadowing was almost irritating through the academy.

That one hundred and fourty years ago, before his last term before graduating to join a squad...

He partook in an all important 'summer break' that allowed him to forge connections in the Seireitei.

Aizen had nice parents, a good upbringing, but despite a long an uneventful life as a salaryman, he thought he could die in peace as so many religions promised men who lived good lives earned their just reward. It was heartbreaking to find he had to make connections and fight to survive here as well. Where was his God? Why had he forsaken him?

This is one of those stories, one of those reminisces, one of those so-called flashbacks. Either this would be important or not, relevant or not, or just something to increase the word count - in the end it really didn't matter. Because to him, this particular story is the story of the day he first met Kukaku Shiba.

Honestly, she was a weird girl. Always wearing loose and eye catching clothes, though it was not really weird since latest trends in uniforms are quite fetching in the eyes and was now part of the fetishistic galore list. (Especially when she fights with the orange hilted zanpaktou hidden behind her back) Still, her skirt was quite short with its hems torn stylishly, same with her robe's sleeves, always and almost showing her panties...

They were white.

It's her favorite color, she said so herself as she sat down in front of him following a quick flash. Though it...unnerved him to think she was reading his mind.

Quite a quirk for an attire, and something you can't easily forget. In a way, you could compare it with Goku's spiky hair or Naruto's whisker marks, to name a few famous characters' defining physical attributes. Not that he really watch that much anime, maybe, but more like he read them in Shonen Jump, and, personally, he liked To-Love-Ru more, and Rance, can't forget Rance.

And her panties were white.

…

But we digress.

On a completely, really completely related, not digressing but actually a completely related note, Kukaku is a genius... and has a very unhealthy fascination with the more dangerous arts... prostetic enhancements... Hado... even planned to build a kido driven cannon... This might be quite repetitive but he personally thought that this was important. One must seize any opportunity for an advantage. So anyway, she is a genius, and likes Kido, and she's really good at using them. Being the heir of her family's unlimited lordly budget, her talents were almost godlike, godsend, and since Gods truly exist, much to his surprise and chagrin, godsend was not just a figure of speech. They spoke, and she told him all about how great the lord up high had treated them, and how it was his doing that brought Aizen to become a shinigami.

Such an existence was scary.

In a way, this life he was brought was not one he wanted, nor desired. If there was a god, one who his so called reward for dying was not a religious paradise but a world of conflict and more death, he felt just a tab bitter about such an entity. And started to wonder...if such an entity deserved to exist after all.

If there was no paradise to aspire to, then why bother so desperately to die a good man?

Let's leave it at that.

This is the story of one of those eventful days in that all important summer, days that he regretted and at the same time glad of the lessons which shaped him; a story of an atrocious yet beautiful day where he met a girl; a story of a day of first meetings, revelations, and realizations. Before bitterness, before anger, before ambition changed everything. A day of innocence, and innocence lost.

This is A Summer Story.

And this rose was **white.**


	3. Chapter 3

_Second Part. Winter comes at the end of summer, but it chills the bone no less with its arrival. Enjoy._

It was fate that Aizen had to betray them all.

So obvious that the repeated foreshadowing was almost irritating despite the pathetically inept shinigami that strolled through his division, able to discover everything if they were only half as smart as they should have been. Half as good as they should have been.

But if that was the case... he wouldn't be seeking their downfall, now would he?

**"Oh and Momo? Sayonara."**

And it was to this end, that summer would not reign over the winter king's frosty smile, the sinful curve of his lips that wove the same lies over Momo's lips as they did tantalize the gullibility of his fellow captains.

This is a winter story.

This is one of those stories, one of those reminisces, one of those so-called flashbacks. Either this would be important or not, relevant or not, or just something to increase the word count - in the end it really didn't matter. Because to him, this particular story is the story of the day he first left soul society.

**"You may hold onto her, Abarai kun. But you will leave your arms cut off behind."**

Honestly, they were rather heartwrenching sops, the Captain of the Fifth Division mused, his sword raised to deflect Renji's extended sword with almost telltale ease settling into his posture. Breaking his spirit and his sword was quite satisfying. So was the color of Rukia's blood.

It was Red.

It's his favorite color, Renji said so himself.

Quite a quirk for a fist shoved through your diaphram, and something you can't easily forget. In a way, you could compare it with Pein's tenacity or perhaps Greed's iron skin from Fullmetal Alchemist, to name a few famous characters' defining physical attributes. Not that he really watch that much anime, maybe, but more like he imagined the cool helplessness she felt extended in the air, watching his betrayal broke her and her body fell to its knees like all must.

And her blood was red.

…

But we digress.

On a completely, really completely related, not digressing but actually a completely related note, Aizen is a genius... and has a very unhealthy fascination with the more dangerous side of humanity... genetic modification... experimentation... even planned to create life to transcend that which is human itself! This might be quite repetitive but he personally thought that this was important. One must seize any opportunity for an advantage. So anyway, he is a genius, and likes to create the undead known as hollows from human corpses, and he's really good at using them. Being the heir of the honorable fifth division captaincy, his talents were almost godlike, godsend, and since Gods truly exist, much to his loathing and hatred, godsend was not just a figure of speech. One he intended to become.

As Yoruichi and Soi Fon placed their blades at his body to kill, he had to admit, this life was a little scary.

In a way, he was okay with the afterlife before he realized he would simply die as pathetically as he had lived. There was no paradise. No rewarding nirvana. Only more death, and suffering.

Let's leave it at that.

This is the story of one of those eventful days in that all important winter, days that he regretted and at the same time glad of the lessons which shaped him; a story of an atrocious yet beautiful day where he met a girl with a Hogyoku inside her heart; a story of a day of first meetings, revelations, and realizations. Before bitterness, before anger, before ambition changed everything. A day of innocence, and innocence lost.

**"From the Very Start, nobody was standing in heaven. Not you, nor me, not even God. However, that emptiness in Heaven which is very hard to endure, shall end. From here on, I will stand Heaven."**

This is A Winter Story.

And this rose was **Red.**


End file.
